BMW Receives High Marks From Consumer Reports

While you won’t see a BMW roundel in Robb Report’s 2025 Car of the Year issue for the first time in a while (though there is a Rolls-Royce included), you definitely will spot several BMW models ranking highly in the just-released Consumer Reports “2025 Auto Issue: Best & Worst” issue.

As BMW enthusiasts know, BMW can build great vehicles that blend performance, style, and even efficiency in ways that satisfy both a sense of adventure and practicality. CR’s latest car review issue reflects those qualities.

Consumer Reports magazine is a non-profit publication with a strong reputation for independent testing and analysis. They don’t accept automaker ads and publish the details of their research and evaluation standards. According to the magazine, they purchase almost 50 vehicles anonymously and put each one through more than 50 tests. “For every new vehicle we purchase for testing, our team of experts log thousands of miles on public roads and highways. To push each car to its limits in a safe environment, we also drive it on the track at our 327-acre Auto Test Center in Colchester, Conn… CR also has a team of analysts who review hundreds of thousands of data points from our annual member surveys to predict how reliable and satisfying new vehicles will be.”

So, while no evaluation system could be considered perfect, CR works to make its results as reliable as possible. BMW shines brightly in those results this year.

The April issue features multiple vehicle categories, with BMW fitting into most of the “luxury” designated ones. These carefully segmented categories come together for the list of “Top Picks” of ten cars that scored the highest in tests. And the only German marque represented in that elite circle? BMW, of course!

BMW’s X5 / X5 PHEV models earned a coveted “Top Pick” designation, ranking them among Consumer Reports magazine’s top ten vehicles.

In the Luxury Midsized SUV category, BMW’s X5 / X5 PHEV models garnered an esteemed “Top Pick” designation with overall scores of 87 / 83 respectively. “Everything about the X5 says ‘premium,'” the report states. “Both powerful and efficient, the base X5 delivers swift acceleration (0 to 60 mph in 6 seconds) and returns 23 mpg overall—among the highest fuel economy in its peer group. The plug-in hybrid version heightens this efficiency with an electric-only range of 39 miles, bringing real energy cost savings to drivers who routinely travel locally and have convenient access to charging.”

In the more segmented categories, BMW models repeatedly receive high marks and are often the only German marque included.

In the “Satisfying New Models” category, the BMW X5 appears with 83% of owners saying they would buy the model again.  In the “Best and Worst Gas Mileage” listing, several BMWs have above-average fuel efficiency. For “Destination Charges” ranking, BMW is listed as having one of the lowest fees.

In the key “Most Reliable” category, the BMW i4 ranks in the top 10 of all vehicles. Overall, the magazine reports that BMWs rank quite high in reliability categories for most models.

BMWs also ranked either at the top or close to the top in the specific vehicle categories, including Cars: Luxury Compact, Cars: Luxury Midsized/Large, Cars: Luxury Electric, Sports Cars: 2 Seat, Sports Cars: 4/5 Seat, SUVs: Luxury Entry Level, SUVs: Luxury Midsized, SUVs: Luxury 3-Row, and SUVs: Electric Luxury.

BMWs took the crown in the Cars: Luxury Electric list, filling the top two spots with the BMW i4 and BMW i5. BMW topped the Cars: Luxury Midsized category with the BMW X5. BMW came in a close second in the Cars: Luxury Compact category with the BMW 330i xDrive, Cars: Luxury Midsized/Large category with the BMW 530i, and SUVs: Luxury 3-Row category with the BMW X7.

The 2022 BMW X3 was one of ten vehicles (and the only German marque) listed in the “Used Cars We Love” category.

And in the “Used Cars We Love” category, the 2022 BMW X3 appears in the top 10 and is the only German marque listed. “BMW’s luxurious midsized SUV (SAV to us BMW enthusiasts) is both practical and indulgent, blending safety, performance, and comfort.”

However, the true icing on the cake appears when Consumer Reports answers, “Which Brands Make the Best Cars?”

CR ranked 32 automakers from best to worst. Of these, BMW ranked a very close second, only bested by Subaru by a single point. Lexus and Porsche were close behind in the top five. Audi squeaked in at 6th place, but Mercedes-Benz ended up in 23rd place, tied with Lincoln. The rankings combined the testing scores, owner surveys, reliability ratings, safety ratings, and other tested elements.

So sure, BMW Group was only present in this year’s car-ad-laden-why-are-you-reading-this-if-you-aren’t-rich Robb Report with the Rolls-Royce Cullinan II (BMW Group owns Rolls-Royce Motorcars.). But in the more accessible is-this-a-reliable-safe-stylish-fun-awesome car testing of Consumer Reports, BMW really does shine brightly.

Read all the details in the April 2025 issue of Consumer Reports at consumerreports.org